The present invention pertains to secure communications among users of a key management system and more particularly to a method for providing secure teleconferencing through the use of an unforgeable certification process.
In modern day telephony, specialized circuitry within the switching system provides for teleconferencing. Teleconferencing is simultaneous voice or data exchange between three or more users of a communication system. Typically, specialized networks and circuitry within the network of a switching system provide for interconnecting a number of users in a teleconference.
In secure communications systems, the problems of establishing connections among multiple users for voice or data exchange is further complicated by various security protocols. Establishing a secure teleconference between multiple users via a secure network of a switching system is very difficult. This is due to the fact that the terminal devices in a secure teleconferencing system may demand point-to-point, on-line establishment of traffic keys.
Further, establishing a session key between terminal devices connected to a secure network of a switching system requires transmission of many messages between the system and the users. This is very cumbersome and time consuming.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method to enable any number of terminal devices connected to a switching network to establish a secure conference arrangement by establishing an unforgeable certification method to provide a single session traffic key with a minimal number of point-to-point message exchanges between the terminal devices.